Usually I only "blog" if I have something that I think is profound to say.  It is so deeply ingrained in my psyche that I *must* gain the attention of as many people as possible in as short a time as possible that the thought of simply posting a blog entry for fun never occurs to me.

I've been thinking about the blog thing the past day or two, and I realized (I think) a little more about how it works - people post stuff, and then it gets read based on how relevant it is to people's lives.  Like, if I put thoughts out here on the web, and you vibe with it, then you're likely to pass it on to others or reference it, and then others read it, and it grows like that.

Which is all fine and well . . .

. . . except when my intention is to get as much attention as possible.  Then the whole game gets spoiled by this desperate need to post just the right thing, and it ends up being forced and inauthentic.

Well . . .

This blog entry is nothing spectacular; it is not an event, it is not the launch of some crazy marketing campaign to draw the world's attention to my profile.  It is a regular ol', run-of-the-mill blog entry; a public rumination, if you will.

Here's something I learned this week:

I am the current Boot Camp Registrar for VisionForce, and as such I've been doing some email broadcasts and interacting with folks in the Vision Cafe pod, which has been incredible fun.  What these interactions have taught me is that it is better to share what I've got and then to simply be interested in what others are up to than it is to try and get anything.  It's certainly much more fun, and the getting happens automatically.

Thank god for zaadz; I get to train myself in how to serve, give, and love unconditionally, without expecting anything in return - and so far, I'm enjoying tremendous fruits in the form of new connections, people taking an interest in Conscious Celebration, etc. It's fun!

Even as I write this, though, putting it out there for *someone* to read, I half-expect (and fear) that noone will read it, and I hope that someone does.  Very strange, this blogging thing.  It's like having an open-ended conversation with humanity, who may or may not respond.

Well . . .  C'est la vie.  If no one responds, I'll get to find out whether or not it hurts when I'm not out to have people respond.

I think you will, though.  I'm sure I'm not the only one who has encountered this strange paradox of blogging, which occurs to me like journaling - only in a public diary . . .

I guess we'll see.

Thoughts?

Much love,

Shawn

This is a long post, and it just might move you to action in a way you've never gone before, so proceed with caution.  Know that my intention is to move you as I have been moved today.

I watched the first part of a video today about the "Endgame" in the creation of a "New World Order" through economic, political, and military strategies and actions put into motion by a small group of the world's most wealthy and powerful people.

It began with a vision of the future as a tightly controlled hellhole, where 80% of the human race has been eliminated, the remaining populations live in tightly controlled megacities connected by giant superhighways, all human activity is monitored,  and this small elite group runs the show.

The film ran through some background, telling the story of banking cartels who have grown to be enormous by funding both sides of wars, which I found useful; even if it is 80% accurate, it's helpful to know how the power structures of the world work.

And then it veered into a virulent demonization of the people who make up this group, who meet in secret every four years behind closed doors guarded by armed private guards . . .

That was when I stopped watching.  It's too to get swept up in the fear and the righteous anger that these kinds of films intend to ignite.

Then tonight, I did a breathing meditation with a gracious and beautiful healer-woman who brought us on a journey with dolphins, and the work released a TON of guilt and shame.  I was left with my heart wide open and raw.  I sang songs, and the music was so sweet . . .

I came to a place of clarity and peace that is deeper than any I have known before.

I am clear that the true warriors of the world are those of us who are doing whatever it takes to keep our hearts open - in the face of all of the evidence for why we should be guarded, protected, suspicious, fearful, angry, vengeful, and greedy.

I know a man in New York City, goes by the name of LipBone Redding.  He plays guitar, sings, and "plays a trombone" using only his lips - it sounds so good, you would swear he's playing a real horn.  He has a song called "Love is the Answer (for world peace)", and it is so perfect.  Love really is the answer.

I'm not talking about hippy-dippy, let's-get-high-and-love-everybody love, or love as a concept.

I'm not talking about love as a lukewarm tolerance of people who you'd love to hate if it weren't so un-PC in spiritual circles.

I'm talking about love as the willingness to feel the pain in the hearts of every human being who has ever walked the earth.

I'm talking about love as in going into your own heart, and finding the pain there, and feeling it, letting it take you over, and releasing it - leaving you with an empty ache, a longing to serve and to help others find relief from their pain.

I'm talking about love as in really getting that there's no such thing as evil - knowing in every cell of your being that evil is an illusion created by our collective ego to protect us from that which we do not understand - and therefore fear.

When you encounter a person behaving in a way that could be described as greedy, violent, cold, mean-spirited - can you feel through all of that and experience the pain in the person's heart?

Have you forgiven your parents?  I mean REALLY forgiven them for all of their shortcomings, all the ways in which you feel like they fell short in raising you?

How much suffering can you feel when you put yourself in Hitler's shoes?

We're at a time and place in our evolution as a human race when to demonize ANYONE is to perpetuate the spiritual disease that plagues us.  And the only way out of the vicious cycle is to heal the heart of humanity - one heart at a time - with forgiveness, compassion, kindness, and the willingness to see God (whatever your version) everywhere - and in everyone.

Now . . .

Before you go looking for someone else's heart to heal, consider that it is YOUR heart that is aching for your attention.  It is YOUR desire for love, relationship, community, and the expression of your joy - and your pain - that needs to be unleashed.  It is YOUR heart that needs your forgiveness, compassion, kindness, and the willingness to see God in yourself.

It's time.

This is a clarion call to the warriors of the world.  Many are already engaged in this work.  Thank you for being the bold and the brave and the courageous.  Thank you for being willing to sacrifice your comfort for the sake of humanity's heart.  Thank you for being willing to love yourself enough to give yourself - and the rest of us - the gift of your healing.

Whether you are just getting started, or you've been doing the work for thirty, forty, fifty years - I acknowledge you and thank you for your gift, and I invite you to get into communication with me.  Share with me your story, let me in on your world, and let me know what you need to go deeper into your heart.

The deeper you go, the deeper we all go.  REM said it clearly and succinctly: everybody hurts, and the more we awaken to our own pain, the brighter our light becomes.

Come.  Open your heart.  Join the evolution.

Much love,

Shawn